Monday, May 24, 2010

BACK AND HIP PAIN - Wednesday May 19th 2010

There's an epidemic of musculo-skeletal dysfunction in our community. Ask any group of people 'Who here has either got a crook back, stiff neck, 'cold' shoulder, bung hip, game leg, dicky knee or sore wrist?’ and at least 50% of people will put their hand up.

The good news is that in 80% of cases it's not a medical problem, it's a fitness problem. Chances are you're not strong enough or flexible enough to keep your body in good alignment.

The solution? You need a good strength and flexibility training program to straighten yourself up.

There are two key principles involved here.

1. Tight muscles pull bones out of alignment. That’s the bad news. The good news is that by loosening tight muscles the bones will go back into alignment.

If you do the right exercises, long enough and often enough, there’s a better than even chance you’ll straighten yourself up. Poor function will be restored to good. You’ll start to feel better. Your pain will go away. All you have to do is find the right exercises.

2. The cause of the pain is rarely at the site of the pain – so a rub down and a hot wheat bag on the spot where it hurts may give you some temporary relief but won’t treat the cause of the problem. Over the years it will just get worse.

With lower back pain there’s a chain of dysfunction. Tight calf, hamstring and buttock muscles take your pelvis out of alignment. When that happens, the bones above it are taken out of alignment as well.

It puts pressure on the muscles, tendons, ligaments and discs in your lower back. They ‘feel the pinch.’ You tell people you’ve got a crook back.

Next week I’ll give you an exercise to loosen up your calf and hamstring muscles and get you sitting up straighter. Do that and you square your pelvis up and take the pressure off the bones of your lower back.

Then there’s that better than even chance that millimeter by millimeter, your lower back pain will start to go away.